In what was a very special "Night To Fight" that celebrated the founding of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame and honored the inaugural class. A class that included former world champs such, as Donald Curry, Paulie Ayala, and countless others delivered an incredibly exciting night of fights. In the main event at the Comerica Center in Frisco, hard-hitting 26-year-old prospect "World Star" Henry Arredondo of San Antonio and the savvy "Fort Worth Wolf" Tony Lopez battled to a very entertaining draw in a six-round super featherweight affair.
Lopez, who took the fight on five days' notice, came out incredibly sharp. Jabbing from his southpaw stance he was scoring at will and mixing in left hands. He was able to keep Arredondo at bay and was able to outland him when the San Antonian did get onto the inside. After a bit of a slow start, Arredondo got going in the third picking up the pace and scoring on the inside. Jabbing his way in he began outworking and out landing Lopez. Firing off sharp combinations that backed his man up. The momentum seemed to shift and Arredondo kept his foot on the gas. However, the Fort Worthian was not done and landed a left hand in the fourth that wobbled the surging Arredondo toward the end of the round. Not wanting to give the round away, Worldstar answered right back with a clean two-piece that landed cleanly on the jaw of Lopez. Arrendondo got back to in the fifth and was again outworking and out-landing Lopez in the fifth, a good round for the Alamo City native. With the fight possibly slipping away The Fort Worthian rallied back in the sixth and final stanza, he stunned Arredondo with a left hand that backed him into the ropes and the Fort Worthian unleashed a ferocious combination of shots to close the fight in style. At the end of six, it appeared to be close to call, and the judges agreed. With two of the three scorings it 57-57 even and the third scored for the San Antonian 58-56. Both parties expressed an interest in a rematch. Arredondo's record moves to 8-1-1 (4) and Lopez is now 17-11-1 (7).
A star was born in the co-main event as Roberto Cruz originally of Cayey, Puerto Rico, but now fighting out of Killeen, Texas, put on the performance of the night in stopping a tough, bad badly outmatched Felipe Reyes from Houston. Working calmly behind a snappy jab and circling around the ring Cruz seized control of the fight from the opening moments. He could not miss with a laser-like right that found its mark early and often. One particular right hand wobbled and nearly dropped Reyes late in the second. Reyes stayed on his feet and survived the round. However, The writing was on the wall and Cruz stayed on the attack. Stalking his man down he hurt Reyes with every right hand. Reyes, who has deducted two points for hitting Cruz to the back was clearly on his last legs. The Puerto Rican was unphased by the constant fouls and kept scoring with and laser-like right hands and mixing in left hooks and uppercuts for good measure. One particular right-hand in the third put Reyes down and in the fourth, the Puerto Rican closed the deal in style closing the show with a barrage of power shots that left Reyes unable to continue. The bout was waived off at 1:19 of round number 4.
In an all-Texas shootout primarily bout, between Cesar Torres of Tyler and Randy Rivera, originally of Cuba, but now fighting out of the famous Maple ave Gym in Dallas. exchanged heavy artillery throughout the scheduled four-round affair. Rivera landed a thudding right-hand left hook combination just before the bell rang to end the opening stanza. Then picked up where he left off with another left hook moments into the second round. Rivera stepped on the gas to start the fourth and final round, scoring with a thudding right hand. Rivera used the ring scoring with stinging rights. Torres pressed the action and landed shots in close range trying to slow down his man and cut the ring off. Torres stayed determined however Rivera stopped the momentum with one of his patented right hands. A mouthpiece fell from Rivera's mouth and then Rivera was deducted for holding but he rallied late with sharp right hands that likely saved a 9-9 round for him and then fight as he rolled to a split decision by the narrowest of margins scores 38-37 for Rivera 38-37 for Torres 38-37 randy Rivera.
